Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site uwmacc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!rick From: rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Jhereg mini-appreciation Message-ID: <1481@uwmacc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 22-Sep-85 20:43:53 EDT Article-I.D.: uwmacc.1481 Posted: Sun Sep 22 20:43:53 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 10:08:38 EDT References: <1200@mtgzz.UUCP> Reply-To: rick@uwmacc.UUCP (Rick Keir) Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center Lines: 26 In article <1200@mtgzz.UUCP> leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes: > I will get around to reviewing JHEREG >soon. It has some good prose too, but it requires too darn much memory >to keep straight what is happening in what ultimately turns out to be a >simple story. Really? For me, Jhereg's story (i.e., the plot end of it) was much better than that of most novels. A non-spoiler summary is : Everyone agrees that Person X is a wart and a louse, and that the world will be a better place without him: Person X has to die. Otherwise A Bad Thing will happen. But if Person X dies ... The Bad Thing will happen. Our hero is the assassin appointed to cut this Gordian knot. Brust plays fair with his puzzle: all the rules of what will cause the Bad Thing to happen are laid out, and the solution to the paradox is one that the reader could legitimately have thought of his/herself ... but almost certainly didn't. -- "What if they gave a net.flame ... and nobody came?" Rick Keir -- MicroComputer Information Center, MACC 1210 West Dayton St/U Wisconsin Madison/Mad WI 53706 {allegra, ihnp4, seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!rick Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com